Star Trek

Directed by J.J. Abrams

2009 • PG-13 • English • 127 min.

Since it premiered on TV in the 1960s, Star Trek has spawned numerous sequel and prequel series and several movies. But in 2009, director J.J. Abrams went all the way back to the beginning and rebooted the original, groundbreaking, beloved Trek series with a big-budget prequel movie. And it’s pretty good! The visual effects are often dazzling, and the musical score by frequent Abrams collaborator Michael Giacchino is suitably epic. But it’s the movie’s biggest gamble — recasting Captain Kirk, Mr. Spock, and all of the other iconic OG Trek characters — that really pays off, with everyone in the cast capturing the spirit of the original Trek characters without aping the original show’s actors.

Cast: Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldana